Building construction



March 10, 1931. DAVIDSON 1,795,331

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed April 9. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l FLW.

By Attorneys,

March l0, 1931. L. DAvlDsoN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 9, 1928 INVENTOR By Attorneys,

Patented Mar. 1o, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcs LOUIS DAVIDSON. 40l' NEW YORK. N. Y'.`

BUILDING GONSTBUCTION Application fled April 9, 1928. Serial No. 838,679.

' eliminated from the interior so as to provide 10 a maximum of unobstructed floor area. The invention also includes other features of novelty which will be hereinafter more fully described. v

Certain embodiments of -my invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein, l

Figure 1 is a transverse section of my invention applied to a natatorium.

Fig. 2 is a section taken substantially along the plane of the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, with part of the reviewing stand omitted.

Fig. 3 is a partial transverse section of a modified form of my'invention applied to an auditorium.

Fig. 4 is a section taken substantially along the plane of the line 4--4 of Fig. 3, with the reviewing stand omitted.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section of one form of anchoring means applicable to the invention.

Fig. 6 is an enlar ed fractional transverse section of a modifie form of the invention.

Referring first to Figs. l and 2 of the drawings, let A indicate a long s an arch supported at its ends upon columns and hinged atl its middle, as indicated at C. The arch A may be of any referred construction, and as herein shown 1t consists of a pluralit of arch segments D connected together by S oes E and provided at its ends with sub-segments F, the outermost ends of whichare supported on the column extensions b. Mounted upon the arches and extending transversely thereof are the roof beams G which support the roof sheathing H.

In order to resist the horizontal thrust of the arches, the ends thereof tie in or are connected to anchoring means comprising dead weights I disposed inwardly in spaced relation to the bases of the columns B by suitable connecting means, herein shown as girdersl J l These ird'ers J may constitute the webs of a truss consisting 1n addition to the webs J of the longitudinal members L and M and inclined webs N. This truss may also serve to support an inclined reviewing stand O, which may be constructed thereover to be supported wholly or partially thereby. Where the reviewing stand is of great width, supplementary columns B disposed approximately midway of the truss longitudinal members may be employed to sustain art of the load.

The type of construction t us far described,

it will be apparent, may be provided with a floor P at su stantially the level of the lower edge of the truss K, or, if desired, the central portion ofthe floor may be out away to provide a deep pool P which may have a width substantiall equal to the. distance between the lower e es of the trusses K on opposite sides of the (building, and a length substantially equal to the longitudinal dimension of the building. It will be understood that if desired the bottom of the ool may serve as the main door of the building when the pool is drained.

Where the building lis provided with a pool, a portion of the upward thrust of 'the girders J may be resisted by the counterweights I, or by the wei ht of the reviewing stands O, or by the com ined action of both the reviewing stands and counterweights. It will be appreciated, however, that in the absence of the pool P', tie rods analogous to I may connect the inner ends of the girders J of each arch at their points of connection with the dead weights I. Where suchconstruction is employed, it will be obvious that the `tie rods I will extend below the level of ".90

the Hoor P.

In the construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4, instead of employing girders for resisting the horizontal thrust of thearches, I employ tie rods Q, the lower ends of which are anchored to the dead Weights I, and the inner ends of said tie rods at the `opposite ends of eacharch are connected together by tie rods I which extend beneath the floor P. The reviewing y stands O in this construction, it will be apreciated, may be independently supported y columns BZ and,A irders J 2.

In Fig. I haveis own a modified form of anchoring means for the horizontal thrustresisting members such as the tie rods Q, said anchoring means being so designed as to also resist the upward thrust of the tie rods Q..

. In this construction the end of each tie rod Q,

extends through an angular concrete abutment R and is secured therein through the medium of a Washer and a nut g engaging over the inner end o the `tie rod. The interior of the abutment R can be filled with rock or sandv to constitute a dead weight, and is preferably formed with tie-in walls r. If desired, the vertical component of the abutment R may extend upwardly above the floor level to provide a guard wall around the pool or floor and thereby provide additional weight to the. anchoring means. In Figs. 1 to 4 I have shown a guard wall S which ma be of any preferredconstruction. It wi also be apparent that the guard wall S in Figs. 3 and 4 may constitute the side Walls of a pool the bottom of which is the floor P.

In the modification shown in'Fig. 6, girders J are connected to the columns B below the spring line of theyvarches a distance sulficient th provide headroom at the rear of the reviewing stand O which is supported thereby, In thisembodimentof the invention the f horizontal 'thrust of thev arches isesisted by the girders J8, the deadi weights (not shown) to which the irders are anchored and by that portion of te columns between the spring line or ends of the arches and the points whereat the girders J 3 are secured tov said columns. In Fig. 6 I have shown the columns B as reinforced at the point whereat the arch end is mounted thereon by vplates t', and I have also shown the the flanges of the columnB through anchor plates b2 and bs. It will be understood, however, that these details are merely illustrative oa'l ractical manner of securing-.thev parts `to et er.

, rem the foregoing description it will be ap arent that by my present invention I provi e along span arch building construction 'free from supporting posts and pillars, af-

fording a maximum unobstructed floor area, and that I accomplish this in a simple, economical and. practicable manner, and although I have shown and described certain preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not` wish to be limited to the specific details lof the construe tion or to the arrangement of the ,members Vsince modifications thereof may be resorted to within the range of engineering skill Without departing from the spirit of my invention.

IVhat I claim is:

l. A building construction comprising a plurality of long span arches, supports for girder J 3 as riveted tov :weeenA the ends of said arches, and means for resisting the horizontal thrust of the arches comprising anchoring means spaced from the bases of the arch supports, and means connecting the ends of the arches to the anchoring means.

2. A building construction comprising a plurality of long span arches, supports for the ends of said arches, and means :tor resisting the horizontal thrust of the arches comprising anchoring means spaced zinwardly from the bases of the arch supports, means connecting the ends of the arches to the anchoring means, said anchoring means comprising members connecting the inner ends of the connecting means together.

3. A building construction comprising a plurality of long span arches, sup Orts for the ends of said arches, and means or resist- 11 ing the horizontal thrust of the arches com l prising anchoring means spaced from the'v ases of the arch supports, means connecting the ends of the arches to theanchoring means, said anchoring means comprising members connecting together the inner ends of the connecting means of at least two of" the long span arches.

4. A building construction as dened in claim 3, characterized in that theanchoring means comprise tieV rods.

5. A building construction comprising a, v

plurality of long span arches, supportsi'orA the ends of the arches, means for resisting the horizontal thrust of the arches comprising dead weights spaced from the bases of the arch supports and means connecting the ends of the arches to said dead weights.

7. A building construction comprising a plurality of long span arches, supports for the ends of the arches, means for resisting the horizontal thrust of the arches comprising dead weights spaced from the bases of the arch supports and means connecting the ends of the arches to said dead Weights, said dead Weighs also functioning to resist the upward thrust of the connecting means.

S. Abuilding construction comprising a pluralityoflong span arches, supports for the ends of-said arches, a floor below the level v I f" Y w incassi 9. A building construction comprising a plurality of long span arches, supports for the ends of said arches, a floor below the level of the arch ends, an inclined standextendmg from the floor to within proximity of the arch ends and means for resisting the hon- Y zontal thrust of the arches disposed beneath the inclined stand. Y

l0. A building construction comprising a.

plurality of long span arches, supports or the ends of said arches, a floor below the level ofthe arch ends, an inclined stand extending from the ioor to within proximity of the arch ends and means for resisting the horizontal thrust of the arches dis osed beneath the inclined stand and below -t e ioor level.

11. A building construction comprising a plurality of longspan arches, supports for the ends of said arches, a floor below the level of the arch ends, an inclined stand extendin from the Hoor to within proximity of the arc ends and providing head room at the rear of l the inclined stand and means for resistin the l horizontal thrust of the arches dispose beneath the inclined stand.

12. A building construction comprisin a plurality of long span arches, supports tor the ends of said arches, a ioor below the level of the arch ends, an inclined stand extending from the ioor to within proximity of the arch ends and means for resistin the horizontal thrust of the arches disposex beneath the inclined stands, a part of said means also functioning to support the inclined stand.

13. A building construction comprising a. plurality of longvspan arches, supports for the ends of said arches, a floor below the level of the arch ends, an inclined stand extending from the floor to within roximity of the arch ends and providin eadroom at the rear of the inclined stan and means for resisting the horizontal thrust of the arches, said means being disposed beneath the inclined stand and tying in with the arch supports below the spring line of the arches.

14. building construction comprising a .plurality of long span arches, supports for the ends of said arches, arch sub-segments connecting said arches with said supports, a fioor below the level of the arch ends, an inclined stand extendin from the floor to the arch ends and provifing headroom at the rear of the inclined stand, and means disposed beneath the inclined stand for resisting the horizontal thrust of the arches.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

LOUIS DAVlDSON. 

